Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. If your family expresses gratitude together at some point during the day, consider including these reasons to be grateful in your prayer list:
- That we have access to the entirety of God’s Word in our language. Much of the world has no such blessing.
- That God has saved us and made us His children. With 4 billion+ persons in the world with little or no access to the gospel, we cannot take this gift for granted.
- That He sent someone across our path to introduce us to the gospel. My “someone” was a seventh-grade classmate who spoke truth to me more than 45 years ago—and every year I’m more grateful for him.
- That many of us will have more to eat tomorrow in a single meal than some people will have all day. We’re so accustomed to being almost gluttonous that we fail to see God’s blessings of abundant provision.
- That, at least for now, we can teach the Word openly without fear of persecution. Again, many believers around the world are not so blessed. They’re faithful anyway, but their faith often costs them much.
- That He has called out pastors to lead us. I’m convinced that God calls our pastors with a divine calling, and He raises them up to care for our souls.
- That He works through the most difficult times we face to conform us to the image of His Son. He works through our struggles to remind us that he is the strength in our weakness—and that His grace is sufficient for us (2 Cor 12). Gratitude in everything is evidence that God is working in us.
- That He gives us a church family. They might at times be difficult, but they’re still family. They’re still our brothers and sisters in Christ.
- That God is sovereignly in control of a world that seems out of control. I don’t know about you, but I’m even more grateful for that truth after the last 18 months of COVID.
What would you add to this list?
